Batsmen have made their beds

Australian Test hopefuls Ed Cowan and Phil Hughes are both dreaming of a surprise call-up to face India on Boxing Day at the MCG.

And as fate would have it, for the next three nights while playing for the Chairman’s XI in Canberra, the competing opening batsmen will be sleeping in the same room.

The left-handers are pursuing individual ambitions – Cowan gunning for a Test debut and Hughes desperate to be retained despite a horror run of form.

They want to be part of Australian cricket’s biggest stage, against the odds and at the expense of the other man.

But when the lights go out at the team hotel near Manuka Oval, Cowan and Hughes will be just centimetres apart.

“I’ll probably give him a cuddle and a kiss good night,” said Cowan.

“[Tampering with his alarm] would be tampering with my own alarm, we are literally sleeping 30 centimetres apart from each other.”

Of course, it’s not a simple case of sleeping with the enemy.

It’s a complicated selection battle which will only be relevant if vice-captain Shane Watson doesn’t make it back from injury to open alongside man of the moment David Warner.

However, should Watson be ruled out of playing in Melbourne, runs for Cowan or Hughes against India in the three-day practice game in Canberra starting today could be telling.

Cowan, 29, is having an excellent Sheffield Shield season for Tasmania and made a stunning 145 not out against NSW at the same venue, Manuka Oval, just over a week ago.

On the other hand, Hughes, 23, seemed doomed after four near-identical failures against New Zealand in Brisbane and Hobart prompted him to quit his Big Bash contract.

With Warner captaining the Chairman’s side, there are three full-time openers hoping to lead out the innings.

Given Warner has scored back-to-back hundreds for Australia and his Melbourne Stars Big Bash team, it’s expected he’ll move down the order to allow Cowan and Hughes the best opportunity to state their case.

Walters believes batsmen are struggling under the weight of pressure and are too gun-shy to back their natural abilities.

He sees the main issue as deficiencies in facing swing bowling.

The 65-year-old believes the axe hanging over some players has become too much for them to bear.

“It’s a difficult situation when you’ve got the whole side fighting for survival and not playing the way they should be playing. The selectors have to come out and say I’ll give you a little bit of grace perhaps,” he said.

“The Indians are not going to offer the same resistance in pace but we don’t play spin all that good either, so it’s not necessarily going to mean our batting woes are finished.”

By Ben Horne

CANBERRA, Dec 18 AAP - Australian Test hopefuls Ed Cowan and Phil Hughes are both dreaming of a surprise call-up to face India on Boxing Day at the MCG.

And as fate would have it, for the next three nights while playing for the Chairman’s XI in Canberra, the competing opening batsmen will be sleeping in the same room.

The left-handers are in town to pursue individual ambitions - Cowan gunning for a Test debut and Hughes desperate to be retained despite a horror run of form.

They want to be part of Australian cricket’s biggest stage, against the odds and at the expense of the other man.

But when the lights go out at the team hotel near Manuka Oval, Cowan and Hughes will be just centimetres apart.

“I’ll probably give him a cuddle and a kiss goodnight,” said Cowan.

“(Tampering with his alarm) would be tampering with my own alarm, we are literally sleeping 30cm apart from each other.”

Of course it’s not a simple case of sleeping with the enemy.

It’s a complicated selection battle which will only be relevant if vice-captain Shane Watson doesn’t make it back from injury to open alongside man of the moment, David Warner.

However, should Watson be ruled out of playing in Melbourne, runs for Cowan or Hughes against India in the three-day practice game in Canberra starting on Monday could be telling.

Cowan, 29, is having an excellent Sheffield Shield season for Tasmania and made a stunning 145 not out against NSW at the same venue, Manuka Oval just over a week ago.

On the other hand, Hughes, 23, seemed doomed after four near-identical failures against New Zealand in Brisbane and Hobart prompted him to quit his Big Bash contract.

Cowan said he and former NSW team-mate Hughes won’t be sharing too much pillow talk about cricket over the next three nights but doesn’t envisage the situation being awkward.

“We’ve been sharing techniques, we’re left-hand opening batters we’ve got a lot in common apart from being mates,” said Cowan.

“I don’t think Phil is one of those guys (who likes to talk about cricket at the hotel).

“It’s nothing new. I was competing with Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja to try and make the NSW team and managed to maintain friendships throughout that.

“I think it’s a test of someone’s character to know what’s good for the team and good for Australian cricket and put your own personal ambition to one side.”

With Warner captaining the Chairman’s side, there are three full-time openers hoping to lead out the innings.

Given Warner has scored back-to-back hundreds for Australia and his Melbourne Stars Big Bash team, it’s expected he’ll move down the order to allow Cowan and Hughes the best opportunity to state their case.

Cowan said he’s in the form of his life, but doesn’t think this will be his last opportunity to make the Test team.

“Yes, it feels a little bit like the stars are aligning in terms of injury and form,” he said.

“But I think the more runs you score your case becomes more and more irresistible.”